We Media PitchIt! Challenge (looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media)
December 29, 2009
We Media PitchIt! Challenge
Filed Under:
* media
* journalism
* competition
Deadline: January 20, 2010. US$25,000 prize
Are you a storyteller? An influencer? A connector? An idea person?
We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers are looking for the most innovative ideas inspiring a better world through media. Be part of the 2010 We Media PitchIt! Challenge.
ENTER your solutions from now until January 20, 2010. The top finalists will pitch their ideas at We Media Miami, March 9-11, 2010. The best entry in each category–non-profit and business–will receive a $25,000 prize to help launch their new venture.
What happens when people have the power to tell their story?
We Media and Ashoka’s Changemakers have teamed up once again to find and launch the best new ideas for inspiring a better world through media. In the We Media PitchIt! Challenge, we’re looking for groundbreaking solutions from all fields that incite action, encourage collaboration, and lead society to knowledge.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, we will provide $50,000 in seed funding to help launch the best solutions. One business and one non-profit venture will each receive $25,000 in seed capital.
Entrants will have the freedom to collaborate with potential partners and investors, while the global online community will discuss, debate and improve upon the most creative solutions.
All finalists will participate in the sixth annual We Media Event in Miami, March 9-11, 2010, and present their ideas to a panel of judges as well as potential funders and partners.
The competition will be open to individuals from all countries. We consider the following criteria:
* Media Focus: Ideas should reflect the theme of the competition. We are searching for innovative ideas that use media to create social change.
* Idea Stage: We’re looking for early-stage ventures or brand new ideas that have not yet been launched or built. These may be entirely new ventures, new companies or new projects from existing organizations.
* Business or Non-Profit: There will be two categories: business and non-profit. In the business category, the funding must be used to support the start-up of a new business that will have a sustainable revenue model. In the non-profit category, the funding should be used to support the launch of a non-profit venture or the development of a new project for an existing non-profit organization.
* Completed Form: Entries must be fully completed and submitted before the deadline of January 20, 2010.
* Language: Entries should be submitted in English.
B. Assessment Criteria
There will be several stages to this process:
1) The community’s comments will be included in the evaluation process.
2) The finalists will be selected by a combination of We Media and expert judges. Finalists will be announced on February 3, 2010.
3) Each finalist will attend We Media Miami March 9-11, 2010 and make a formal presentation to attendees and a panel of expert judges. There will be separate expert panels for business and non-profit ideas.
4) We Media PitchIt! Challenge finalists will each receive the following travel assistance for attending We Media Miami 2010:
* Up to $300 toward a coach airline ticket
* 2 nights lodging in Miami
* Registration for the entire We Media Event
* A display location in the gallery
5) Winners each receive $25,000 in seed funding: The judges will select one business and one non-profit entry. Each winner will receive $25,000 in seed funding.
Judges will consider the following criteria:
* Innovation: Is the idea innovative? This is the knock-out test. The idea should represent a disruptive innovation that changes the way media works. The innovation should demonstrate a substantial difference from other initiatives in the field and have the potential for large-scale expansion. We look for innovative business practices, entrepreneurial quality and a plausible sustainable model.
* Story Telling: Does this idea tell a story in a new or innovative way – or enable others to tell their stories? Does it create and apply a unique storytelling experience through journalism, discovery, narrative, exposition, or new methods and metaphors? We are looking for ideas that change the way we experience or understand storytelling. In this context, we define storytelling broadly.
* Social Impact: Does the idea affect social conditions, stimulate citizenship, raise awareness, influence public policy, or marshal support for an idea of broad social significance? Does this idea present a solution for increasing access, knowledge or connection for all? The idea may address a specific underserved community or the society at large, but ultimately it is important that the innovation has a potential for application or replication globally. It is also important that the idea does not have a negative environmental impact.
* Sustainability: Will the innovator be able to launch and sustain this idea? For an innovation to be truly effective, it should have a plan for securing financial backing and community support. We are looking for social entrepreneurs with ideas that are financially sustainable and scalable. We will also consider the experience and capacity of the innovator (or team), who will be expected to launch the idea.
* Design: Does the idea creatively engage multiple levels of intelligence and understanding of complex information with clarity, style, and meaning?
* Pattern Change: Does the idea pioneer original approaches and paradigms?
* Purpose: Does the idea express a purposeful vision through values reflecting ethics, credibility, responsibility and authenticity?
* Community: Does the idea seek to organize a community, virtual or geographic, in a new way?
Peace and Collaborative Development Network (online network site!)
October 20, 2009
Free professional networking site (with over 10,030 members from around the world) fostering peaceful conflict resolution.
This is an invitation to join the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (http://internationalpeaceandconflict.org), an online initiative to bring together organizations, professionals, academics and students working in peacebuilding, social entrepreneurship, international affairs and related fields.
This is a free professional networking site with over 10,030 members from around the world. The site is a terrific networking tool where members can find local and international partners and practitioners, share resources, read guides to careers, scholarships, internships, funding, and IT resources in the field, and exchange best practices. Discussion topics and personal blogs can be posted. The site also has a video section where members can access and view videos related to the field.
Feel free to explore the site content and features, REGISTER and create your own profile, contribute to a DISCUSSION TOPIC, start a blog, connect with colleagues, CHAT on conflict related topics, INVITE OTHERS to join, view a VIDEO, and more. You can also read the GUIDES to CAREERS, ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, FUNDING, RESEARCH AND PRACTICE.
| Posted on August 7, 2009 | |
| Deadline: October 31, 2009 | |
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Invites Applications for Access to Learning Award
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries Access to Learning Award annually honors innovative organizations that are opening a world of online information to people in need. The program is open to institutions outside the United States that are working with disadvantaged communities.
Award applications are invited from libraries and similar organizations outside the U.S. that have created new ways to offer free public access to computers and the Internet, public training to assist users in accessing online information that can help improve their lives, technology training for library staff, and outreach to underserved communities. To be eligible, the applying institution must allow all members of the public to use computers and the Internet free of charge in a community space.
The award recipient will receive $1 million.
The online application form is available only in English and must be completed in English for applicants to be eligible for consideration.
For complete program guidelines and eligibility requirements, visit the Gates Foundation Web site.
Contact:
Link to Complete RFP
Primary Subject: International Affairs/Development
Geographic Funding Area: National
Aging
Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging Invites Proposals for Academic Research Grant Program
Grants of $20,000 will be awarded to legal, health sciences, social sciences, and gerontology scholars and professionals working on research with the potential to improve quality of life for the elderly….
Posted on July 29, 2009
Deadline: September 30, 2009
Nominations Open for the 2010 Purpose Prize Honoring Older Social Innovators
Five awards of $100,000 each will be given to people over the age of 60 working in a leadership capacity to address societal challenges in the United States or abroad….
Posted on July 29, 2009
Deadline: March 5, 2010
Arts and Culture
California Council for the Humanities Invites Entries for California Documentary Project
Grants of up to $7,000 will be awarded to individuals working to produce film and radio projects that enhance understanding of California cultures, peoples, and histories….
Posted on July 30, 2009
Deadline: October 1, 2009
Stage Director and Choreographers Foundation Invites Applications for Observership Program
Twenty-five early career directors and choreographers will gain the opportunity to observe professionals in the field as they create new productions in New York City and at regional theaters….
Posted on July 30, 2009
Deadline: August 17, 2009
Guidelines Announced for American Heritage Preservation Grants
The program funds the preservation of endangered and fragile artistic, literary, scientific, and historical works and provides grants of up to $3,000 to libraries, museums, and archival collections for conservation projects….
Posted on July 29, 2009
Deadline: September 15, 2009
National Museum of the American Indian Offers the Visiting Indigenous Professional Program
The program will provide hands-on training in various disciplines at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to individuals working in Native museums and cultural centers….
Posted on July 29, 2009
Deadline: September 15 and March 15, annually
Johnson & Johnson/Society for the Arts in Healthcare Grant Funds Available for Arts in Healthcare Programs
A total of $60,000 will be awarded to nonprofits and government agencies that are members of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare and whose arts in healthcare programs show evidence of initial impact….
Posted on July 25, 2009
Deadline: October 15, 2009 (Letter of Inquiry)
Athletics/Sports
Bikes Belong Offers Funding for Bicycle Advocacy and Facilities Programs
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to organizations and government agencies across the United States working to improve bike paths and facilities or whose primary mission is bicycle advocacy….
Posted on July 27, 2009
Deadline: Quarterly
Civil and Human Rights
Partnership for Equity of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Issues Request for Proposals
Grants totaling $20,000 will be awarded to nonprofits working in the field of social justice and racial equity in the District of Columbia and nearby counties of Maryland and Virginia….
Posted on July 30, 2009
Deadline: September 9, 2009
Community Improvement/Development
Entries Sought for 14th Annual MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing
Grants of $50,000 will be awarded to nonprofits and tribes/tribally-designated entities working to increase affordable independent housing for seniors and environmentally responsive housing in their communities….
Posted on July 30, 2009
Deadline: August 14, 2009
Environment
Proposals Sought for National Wildlife Refuge Friends Group Grant Program
Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to nonprofits working to increase wildlife refuge co-stewardship, especially if their programs reach new audiences or provide wildlife-dependent recreational activities….
Posted on July 31, 2009
Deadline: September 4, 2009
Health
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Invites School Nurses to Apply for Healthy Habits for Life Grant Program
Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to school nurses working to create programs that help kids reduce their risk of heart problems, increase their physical activity, and learn healthy eating habits….
Posted on July 31, 2009
Deadline: September 18, 2009
Human Services
Weinberg Foundation Announces Program Revisions to Maryland Small Grants Program
The program will continue to accept applications for the remainder of 2009 and for 2010, and will focus on Maryland nonprofits that address basic needs such as food security and workforce development; grants will provide up to $100,000 over two years….
Posted on July 28, 2009
Deadline: Open
International Affairs/Development
Social Equity Venture Fund Announces Second Annual Open Enterprise Solutions to Poverty Request for Proposals
Two grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded for research in economics, government policy, or business strategy that bears directly on the potential of enterprise-based solutions to poverty….
Posted on July 31, 2009
Deadline: October 15, 2009 (Initial Proposals)
Science/Technology
Nominations Open for Inaugural Award Recognizing Scientific Entrepreneurs
An award of $10,000 will be given to a scientific researcher who has successfully commercialized his or her discoveries through entrepreneurship; an award of $25,000 will be given to a promising postdoctoral entrepreneur….
Posted on July 26, 2009
Deadline: November 2, 2009
TED Fellows program: International Call–Ages 18-40
February 5, 2009
Unveiling the TED Fellows program Greetings TEDsters – It’s my pleasure to share with you the first “Great Unveiling” of TED2009: our new TED Fellows program. At TEDGlobal 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania we were struck by the remarkable conversations and collaborations inspired by the 100 fellows who attended. We saw the founding of several companies, including Black Star Line SA by speaker Herman Chenery- Hesse and TEDGlobal fellow June Arunga; the emergence of new NGOs such as Ushahidi.com, founded by Fellows Erik Hersman, Juliana Rotich and Ory Okolloh; and U.S. TEDsters setting up offices and hiring a TED Fellow in Tanzania.
Scientists met with artists and designers, tech bloggers spoke with environmental activists, and filmmakers bonded with economists. Those exceptional people continue to write Africa’s “Next Chapter.” Since then we’ve been seeking a way to bring the TED Fellows’ passion, energy and the ideas worth spreading to every TED conference, with the hope that their world-changing ideas and proven potential will meld with the talent and experience of the TED community. Introducing TED Fellows, our new international program that will bring 50 eclectic, up-and-coming world-changers to our Long Beach and Oxford conferences each year.
Twenty of those fifty will be invited back, starting the next year, as TED Senior Fellows, joining the community for a three-year term including six conferences. All TED Fellows will receive special benefits including pre-conference programs, training from world-class communications professionals, the opportunity to give short TEDTalks at TED University, the opportunity to spread their ideas on TED.com, a private social network and more. Of course, TED will cover their conference fees, travel and lodging.
We’re targeting individuals aged 21-40 from all of TED’s many disciplines, including of course, technology, entertainment and design but also science, humanities and the arts, entrepreneurs, NGOs and political and community leaders. We’re focusing on candidates from five regions of the world: Africa, Asia/Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East.
However, anyone 18 and over is welcome to apply. The first application cycle begins February 23rd, 2009. Meet our first 40 fellows here. The complete list is also at the bottom of this email. If you’d like to read more about them, you can download a PDF of the TED Fellows Program Guide. These men and women were selected for their achievement but especially for their promise. Each of them shows real potential to create positive change in their field — whether it’s technology, entertainment, design, music, art, science, business or the NGO community — in their country, and even around the world. I would like to thank the Bezos family, the Harnisch Foundation and Nokia for their visionary inaugural support of the program, with in-kind participation from TED friends Kodak, Livescribe, Lynda.com, ONE.org and SubscriberMail. There are many opportunities for TEDsters to get involved and contribute. If you’re interested in participating, have questions or comments or would just like to learn more about the program, please email fellows@ted.com. Find more information at www.ted.com/fellows Warmly, Tom Rielly TED Community Director
One Free Website for a US Nonprofit (built on WordPress)
February 4, 2009
Apply now to have a website developed for your nonprofit for free. Open to US 501c3 nonprofits. Application deadline: March 1, 2009.
DevelopDaily presents “Free Website 2009″ a competition for one free website for a US nonprofit. Non-profits may apply for a free, high quality, highly search engine optimized website by March 1, 2009. One winner will be selected and notified the following week. What’s better than a free, high quality website?! Possibly some things, BUT a free website is still awesome! Not everyone deserves a free website though. I’d like to offer this service to any non-profit out there. Non-profits offer the world a lot and I’d love to be part of their success. So, if you’re a non-profit apply now.
Who Qualifies for a Free Website? Non-profits. More specifically, US-based organization with 501(c) proof. Oh, and a desperate need for a website!
Why Are You Doing This? I really want to help non-profits, especially in an area that they seem particularly un-helped in — the Internet!
What Do You Mean by FREE? Free. I’ll design and build a high quality website. I’ll even host the site for one year…all at no cost. After one year I will either continue to host the site for a very reasonable fee or hand the site over to the owners. Take a look at my portfolio to see other work I’ve done. What About Support? I will offer free support for one month following the launch of the website. After this time there will be a fee for updates. Technical Stuff The site must be hosted on a Linux server. If you don’t currently have a Linux server (or aren’t hosted on one) then I will host your site for one year for free. The site will be built on WordPress — a powerful Content Management System. Develop Daly, started in 2006, is a freelance web design company started by web designer, Search Engine Optimizer (SEO), and WordPress fanatic Patrick Daly.
